KIU Journal of Social Sciences
KIU Journal of Social Sciences Copyright©2019 Kampala International University ISSN: 2413-9580; 5(1): 251–264
Was Samson a Promiscuous Man (Judges 13-16)? Viewing Samson as a Human Figure in a Theoretical Approach
JOHN ARIERHI OTTUH Obong University, Obong Ntak, Nigeria
Abstract. This paper discusses the character of purely literary point of view thereby treating Samson as an historical figure within Judges 13- Samson as a literary figure. One of the problems 16 narratives in the Old Testament Bible. The that might be encountered in seeing Samson as a main aim of this paper is to find out through literary figure is the tendency of considering the theoretical inference whether there were genre as a fiction and as such posing the circumstances surrounding Samson‟s sexual possibility of explaining away the human behaviour. Drawing from causal theory, the problems encountered by him. Another possible paper argues that there is a possible nexus problem in seeing Samson as a literary figure is between Samson‟s failed marriage and his the likely presentation of Samson as a Super subsequent relationship with other women. It Human who is above human emotions shows that Samson‟s problem was not (feelings), mistakes or errors. Therefore, this metaphysical but human induced and as such it paper intends to view Samson as a human figure is causal. It constructs, Samson as human figure in the historical narrative in Judges 13-16. This in the narrative and analyses the text from the is why this paper argues that there is a possible perspective of causal theory and concludes that nexus between Samson‟s failed marriage and his Samson‟s failed marriage could be responsible subsequent relationship with other women. The for his subsequent relationship with a Harlot in narrative of Samson‟s failed marriage is an issue Gaza and Delilah. In the Narrative, apart from that cannot be ignored. From the narrative, the harlot in Gaza, the ex-wife and Delilah Samson‟s father in-law did not allow Samson to betrayed his love. Within this line of theoretical have sex with his wife because he had given her thought, Samson was seen as a victim of in marriage to another man. This is a veritable emotional catharsis, human intrigue, prove that Samson was sexually deprived. Apart insensitivity, naivety and the woman power from being sexually deprived, his wife was factor. married by one of his acolytes. This is another prove that shows the possibility of Samson Key Words: Samson, Causal theory, being heart-broken, betrayed and depressed. Promiscuity, Judges 13-16, Human figure, These possibilities are also shown by Samson‟s anger and action of vengeance afterwards. 1. Introduction Samson‟s situation is still prevalent in modern human society. Samson‟s case is therefore Scholars in the discipline of biblical studies have relevant to present day human sociological often approached the study of Samson from a problem. It is obvious to us that Samson‟s
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behaviour was causal on the ground that he was The above scholars approached the Samson‟s pushed by circumstances because prior to his narrative from the view point of considering failed marriage, we never heard of his Samson as an ethical and a literary figure in relationship with women. It was after this Judges 13-16 in Old Testament literature. This incident of his failed marriage that the story of may have informed the popular reading of falling in love with the harlot at Gaza and Judges 13-16 in the context of Samson‟s Delilah surfaced. Therefore, this paper submits promiscuity. But how true is this depiction? If that there is a nexus between Samson‟s failed the narrative about Samson in Judges 13-16 is marriage and his subsequent love affairs with viewed from the perspective of a human figure other women. who experienced social and psychological problems of life within time and space, the For those viewing Samson‟s situation from an likelihood of appreciating the sociological and immoral point and those viewing him as a psychological situation of Samson will be literary figure, it should be understood that visible. Viewing Samson this way will help the Samson‟s character in Judges‟ narratives is reader to situate Samson in a real flesh and multifaceted (Exum 2014:13). The facet chosen blood life situation in Biblical history. Those by a scholar depends on what line of argument who see Samson as being promiscuous for such scholar intends to prove. For Exum, visiting a harlot at Gaza and having a Samson was a fool whenever he loves (Exum relationship with Delilah have ignored or 2014:14). It was his attempt to prove his love to refused to see Samson‟s failed marriage as a his Timnite wife and Delilah that led him to possible problem that may have precipitated his reveal his secretes. This made Exum to see him action. The sequence of Samson‟s action has as a foolish hero. Samson‟s obsession with shown that he was a reactionary person whose women was dominantly described in the emotion can be aggravated by a corresponding narrative (Assis 2014:1). Some scholars have action. also portrayed the character of Samson from a negative point of view. He is being seeing as a Apart from preachers, some scholars have man who goes from one woman to the other due followed the moral and literary line of thought to sexual lust. Von Rad did not spare Samson too. Mark Greene for example, has described when he claims that he was a waster of God‟s Samson as a kind of biblical Superman who had power because he failed to live up to the just one weakness (Greene 1991:54). It was not expectation of a Nazarite-a man of God (von clear what Greene meant by „one weakness‟ Rad 1962:333-334). Klein (1988:117-118) also until his parallel analysis between Samson and thinks in the direction of von Rad when she the former „Washington‟s mayor Marion Barry viewed Samson as a Judge who fails despite the who was lured by a beautiful ex-model into a deposit of God‟s Spirit in him. Klein‟s hotel room lavishly appointed with FBI (1988:132) analysis compares Samson with surveillance equipment and, on his third visit, other Judges who precedes him and draws a arrested for cocaine use!‟ (Greene 1991). But it conclusion that despite the weakness of all of soon dawn on Greene that „the timelessness of them Samson had an edge over the rest due to some of the Samson story‟s themes and its broad the Supernatural power bestowed on him which appeal have however, not led to any consensus the others did not have. This deepens the or even majority view about its meaning‟ disappointment on Samson‟s failure. It has been thereby resulting to his submission of ambiguity agreed by some scholars that the book of Judges (Greene 1991). The silence and unexplained emerged from „extremely varied traditions‟ and suspense in the narrative show some form of as such, reminds the reader of the religious ambiguity but in my thinking, this gives the disunity in the Hebrew Bible‟ (Bal 1988: 282). If room for theoretical analysis because of the this is correct, it therefore means that a research innuendo associated with the narrative. For on this theme is not going to be an easy task. example, we were told that Samson visited a harlot in Gaza but what he did with her was not recorded. Exum (1983:36) has posed a divergent
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argument in her work, „the theological temporal in terms of days, weeks, months and Dimension of the Samson saga.‟ Unlike Greene, years. It appears the word promiscuity or Exum argues that Judges 13-16 gives a much promiscuous may not properly describe more positive portrayal of Samson than is found Samson‟s relationship with women. in many sermons that treat the saga from a negative perspective (Exum 1983). Here Samson Research has shown that there is a relationship will be viewed as a human figure who or connections between promiscuity/prostitution experienced a real flesh and blood human and bad upbringing of a child especially child- situation in terms of marriage and his abuse (victimization) due to poverty. Here relationship with women. promiscuity and prostitution seems to have a tin line demarcating them (Widom and Kuhns, 2. Conceptual Argument 1996). However, prostitution can be seen as a full blown promiscuity. The Botswana What does it mean to be promiscuous? The experience as presented by Helle-Valle (2010) Encarta (2009) refers to promiscuity as has shown that in Botswana there is a large, and indiscriminate sexual behaviour, that is, increasing, number of women who do not marry behaviour characterized by casual and but have one or several lovers simultaneously indiscriminate sexual intercourse, often with and have gifts from these men as an important many people. One aspect the Encarta did not part of their income. All of these scholars have explain is the time frame or frequency of given the idea of what promiscuity or being indiscriminate sexual activities because in Africa promiscuous means. In the context of our study, where polygyny is accepted as norm and legally promiscuity can mean indiscriminate sex with accepted in society, one cannot say such person multiple partners at a time or within a period of is promiscuous. And in climes where serial time. When Samson is placed in this context, he marriage is accepted, one cannot say such does not fit into this definition or description persons are promiscuous. Whether the many because he had relationship with one partner at a people being referred to by the Encarta are time. The story did not tell us if he had sex with serially or simultaneously, we are not being told. them or whether he followed them This makes this definition inappropriate simultaneously but there are traces of romantic especially in climes where polygyny or serial involvement in the passage. marriage is acceptable. Also, the online Merriam Webster dictionary also defined promiscuity as 3. Theoretical Framework having or involving many sexual partners. This also did not tell us for how long. Moving Theoretically this study is based on causal further, scientists especially psychologists have theory. This theory states that every action thrown more light on the issue of promiscuity. attracts an explanation whether it appeals to Markey and Markey (2007) present a study that reason or not. Salmon (2003:720) discourses examines the interpersonal meaning of sexual causal explanations of human behaviour with the promiscuity by using the Interpersonal view that it is not all behaviour that appeal to Circumplex (IPC) to predict patterns of sexual reasons. However, Salmon (2003) shows that behaviours and showed that promiscuity is a „most discussions of causal explanations of lifestyle of sexual pleasure in which an behaviour focus on the problem of whether it individual indulges in multiple sex partners at a makes sense to regard reasons as causes of time. Can we say that Samson had a multiple sex human behaviour, whether there can be laws partners at a time? The narrative shows to us that connecting reasons with behaviour, and the Samson encountered the Timnath wife, the like.‟ Child (1996) buttresses this further that harlot at Gaza and Delilah at different intervals „explaining an action is explaining why not simultaneously. Buss and Schmitt (1993) something happened, and an explanation of why add another dimension to the argument. They something happened is always a causal added time duration stating that mating whether explanation.‟ This is self-explanatory among with a sex or multiple sex partners could be Philosophers. From philosophical perspective
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for instance, Alvarez (2016) highlights two types for the social sciences. Also, Diego Fernandez- of reason for action: „normative and motivating Duque of the University of Toronto and Mark L. reasons.‟ While the normative reason favours or Johnson of the University of Oregon carried out justifies an action, as judged by a well-informed, a research on „cause and effect theories of impartial observer, the motivating refers to attention: the role of conceptual metaphors‟ and reasons the „agent‟ (that is, the person acting) their result showed that „the crucial role of takes to favour and justify her action and that metaphors in cognitive psychology, guides her in acting (Alvarez, 2016). Causal neuroscience, and the efforts of scientists is to theory has also been noted in Philosophical find a resolution to the classic problem of cause domain, that „there are, in addition, versus effect interpretations‟ (Fernandez-Duque “explanatory” reasons, reasons that explain an and Johnson 2002:153). They explained further action without necessarily justifying it and that scientific concepts are defined by metaphors without being the reasons that motivated the and that these metaphors determine what agent‟ (Alvarez 2016). Modern scholars have attention is and what count as adequate also reacted to the philosophical theory of explanations of the phenomenon. Before they human behaviour. For example, Dancy (2011) arrived at the above result, they analyzed these rejects the argument for normative and metaphors within 3 types of attention theories: motivating reasons for action or behaviour on First is cause theories, in which attention is the ground that someone can act in ignorance. presumed to modulate information processing For Mitova (2016), both motivating and (e.g., attention as a spotlight; attention as a normative reasons are psychological states. For limited resource); second is effect theories, in me, both the motivating and normative reasons which attention is considered to be a by-product for actions are based on rationalism. This is of information processing (e.g., the competition simply viewing causal theory from the metaphor); third is the hybrid theories that perspective of logic or syllogism. combine cause and effect aspects (e.g., biased competition models). This theory informs the Other scholars have also made a lot of inputs on cause of attention and as such it is plausible to causal theory. They came out with various agree that Samson‟s cause of erotic disposition positions as well. These positions are not calls for scholastic attestation. Mayne (2008:1) without some nuances. This is intended to give suggests that questions of cause and effect are some insights into the possible cause of critical to assessing the performance of Samson‟s behaviour. From psychological programmes and projects and as such, there is perspective, LeBuffe (2015), drawing from the need to determine the specific cause-effect Pinoza's Psychological Theory, highlights that question being addressed. This postulation Spinoza attempts to show „that human beings suggests a systematic approach to this type of follow the order of nature. Human beings, on research. In the same vein, using the theory of Spinoza‟s view, have causal natures similar in cause-effect inference on learning theory, kind to other ordinary objects…and that moral Lopez-Paz, Muandet, Scholkopf, & Tolstikhin concepts, such as the concepts of good and evil, (2015) pose causal inference as the problem of virtue, and perfection, have a basis in human learning to classify probability distributions. psychology.‟ Spinoza‟s explanation implies that Also, Khoo, Chan & Niu (2002) presents a „just as human beings are no different from the broad survey of the cause-effect relation, with rest of nature, so moral concepts are no different particular emphasis on how the relation is from other concepts‟ (LeBuffe 2015). Drawing expressed in text. Inferring cause-effect relations from R. G. Collingwood‟s writing about between events and statements has also been causation, Wide (2017), shows that there is found to be an important part of reading and text interconnection between reason and ability to comprehension, especially for narrative text. manipulate the world. Based on this They opined that though, many of the cause- interconnection, Wide concludes that (a) effect relations in text are implied and have to be causality belongs to the realm of human praxis inferred by the reader, there is also a wide and that (b) causal analysis proper is well suited variety of linguistic expressions for explicitly
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indicating cause and effect. They added that, it causal reality in Africa is explained with the has been found that certain words have „causal slogan „there no smoke without fire.‟ This valence‟–they bias the reader to attribute cause simply means that nothing happens without a in certain ways and as such, cause-effect cause. By implication behind any smoke there is relations can be divided into different types. fire as the root-cause. Though it is basic to Within the context of Exum‟s argument and the human thought, causality is a notion shrouded in narrative before us, cause and effect means mystery, controversy, and caution, because action that lead to another action. By this scientists and philosophers have had difficulties understanding, Samson‟s action of violence and defining when one event truly causes another love were induced by human circumstances. (Epilogue, 2009). This argument between scientist and philosophers pose the question of Based on the argument that there is a nexus metaphysics and religious beliefs. between Samson‟s failed marriage and his subsequent relationship with other women, the 4. Constructing Samson as a Human causal theory in this case can suggest how a Figure in the Narratives of Judges 13- scholar can find out about the possible cause of 16 Samson‟s behaviour. It relates Samson‟s subsequent encounter with the Harlot in Gaza Constructing Samson‟s personality as a human and his relationship with Delilah with his failed figure is a complex one. It is complex because marriage in the sense that prior to Samson‟s Samson Manaoha in the Old Testament is very marriage, there was no such relationships as controversial in the sense that the narrative is could be seen from the entire narrative. This filled with paradoxes. One of such paradoxes theory in relations to Samson, also help to lies between love and hate. Another lies between insinuate that Samson is a victim of holiness and decadence. This raises the question circumstance. It is based on the argument that of how the profane relate with the holy divine. promiscuity may not have been consistent with Another paradox is between the strong and the Samson‟s life style because his problem began weak. The Divine is strong and the human is when he had problems with his marriage. After weak. It therefore means that humans cannot be the failed marriage, he began to look for another like the Divine. Human nature itself is full of woman. After the disappointment, he went to limitations and as such full of human errors. one woman at a time and when he found love he Does it mean human errors should be excused? was determined to remain. First he visited a The answer as far of Samson‟s case is concerned harlot at Gaza and left untimely due to security is no but the cause of human errors must also be threat. Second he found Delilah at the Valley of considered in human race so that future Sorek who eventually betrayed and destroyed occurrence of such mistakes can be corrected. him. It should be noted that when he met Another reason why it is complex to determine Delilah, there was no record that he was going Samson‟s promiscuity is the ambiguities in the after another woman. Moreover, the time frame narrative. In the entire narrative, we were told of of the relationship was not even determined in Samson‟s relationships with women: the the narrative. This makes it dicey to absolutely anonymous Philistine woman at Timnah (14:1), conclude that Samson is a promiscuous man. the anonymous harlot at Gaza and Delilah in the Even though the causal theory helps in Valley of Sorek (16:4). His relationships with determining Samson‟s possible reason for his these women were interpreted by some as behaviour, it does not justify sexual promiscuity. In the midst of the insinuation of misdemeanour. Samson could have gone sexual immorality do we absolutely conclude through due and legal process of the time in that Samson is promiscuous? Can we also seeking Delilah‟s hand marriage like he did in conclude that modern serial marriage is the case of the Timnath girl. On the other hand, promiscuity? Or can we say modern polygyny is the effect of his failed marriage cannot be totally promiscuity? These are very challenging ruled out as a possible cause of his relationship questions. It is challenging because it involves with harlot in Gaza and Delilah. This is why religion, ethics and emotion.
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One of the arguments that will help in proving be very violent if he is provoked. He also the human figure of Samson within the narrative expressed violence to the family of his wife and is to determine his real figure as a person. the entire community when he was provoked by Samson can be seen from the narrative as a their trickeries and betrayals. Also, when human figure. An attempt to make Samson a Samson loves a woman, he gives all his heart to purely literary figure in Judges 13-16 will rather her. This is why it is very easy for a woman to make the narrative a fiction and as such water take advantage of him. Fourth is sexual need. down the real personality of Samson within time Why did Samson decide to marry? He decided and space. Those who argue for this also have to get married because as a man he wanted to valid points. However, reading through the story fulfil his sexual desire. Samson‟s marriage issue with the reasoning of causal theory will bring was presented in Judges 14. Samson like any about the human figure in Samson which many human being has sexual need. Marriage is one of have ignored in scholarship for too long. This the means through which such desire can be type of reading gives flesh and blood reality to fulfilled. He followed due process in achieving the story. As such, it makes the narrative a real that at Timnath but later failed. life situation in Biblical history. The followings are veritable proves that shows that Samson was 5. Genre of Judges 13-16 a real human figure in biblical history. The narrative about Samson is found in Judges First is the reality of the birth of Samson. Judges 13-16. Biblical literatures have been grouped 13 gives the narrative of Samson‟s birth. He had into various genres. In this case, Judges 13-16 real parents. He was born as ordained by falls into the genre of narrative. The entire book Yahweh and instructions were given as to how falls into the genre of Historical narrative. So he should live his life. Samson‟s genealogy is Judges 13-16 can be referred to as a narrative obviously outlined. According to (Beecher within a narrative. It is a narrative because it fits 1884:7) it begins with the regular formula: „And into a style of the time. It is also a tragedy there was a certain man, from Zorah, from the because it gives the narrative of a heroic figure family of the Danite, his name being Manoah, who started very strong but died weak as a result and his wife being barren (but) the name of his of betrayal and lack of self-discipline. The basic wife and the date are omitted.‟ Even though the genre of Judges 13-16 is taken as history and mother‟s name was omitted, at least his this history seem to wear the gab of fiction genealogy is known in Israel‟s history. This is (Greene 1991:55). The arrangement of the story why Smith (2005:425) thinks that „the story of and it resonance with its themes and meaning is Samson begins with a clear focus on the theme a determinant of its genre. The story appears in of the family.‟ Second is the ability to eat food. segmented fragments showing redaction This is one of the characteristics of living things. expertise and segmental disconnects. Marian The story line captured how Samson killed a Broida of Emory University has identified young lion while he was going with his parents closure with Judges 13-16 narrative (Broida to marry a Philistine girl who he loved. By the 2010). She drew her meaning from Abbot time they were rerunning there was honey in the (2002:156-157) literary analysis of closure carcase of the lion which he scooped and ate which is understood as having several types or with his parents. Third is the fact that Samson levels. Broida buttresses that “much of what had emotion. He could be provoked to love or creates closure is conformity to expectations in hate. He was a great lover and a great fighter. He three domains: text, genre, and the reader‟s real- was violent when provoked. He falls in love life experience” (Broida 2010). when he sees reasons to. Samson expressed his emotions. He loves and well as hates. Whichever The entire narrative is expected to have a side he exhibited was causal. He expressed love coherence between the beginning, middle and and violence in his actions in reactionary end. Judges as an historical book started from manners. Apart from his mission to deter the Joshua and continued to the books that captured Philistines from subjugating Israel, Samson can the narrative of the anointing of David. The
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renowned Biblical scholar, Willis J. Beecher David was also seen as receiving such approval succinctly puts it thus: “The history of the by being endowed with the Spirit of Lord (1 Judges, as recorded in the Bible, extends up to Samuel 16:13). In another parallel reading Saul the time of the anointing of David…the history, had a similar endowment (1 Samuel 10:6), as a literary production, passes continuously though it was in connection with prophecy and from the times of the Judges to those of David” not battles. We see the exact same construction; (Beecher 1884). By implication, Judges as a the Spirit rushing mightily. The only difference book in the historical books of the Old is that Samson‟s endowments, or charisma, were Testament is a continuation of a long standing transient and irrupted only in crisis. However, history transiting to another stage of the entire juxtaposing the experience of Moses and narrative. The narrative in Judges 13-16 focuses Samson, God did not show any disapproval in on a deliverer called Samson and how he Marrying the women of their choices even succeeded and failed. Also, Tanner (1992) has though the women were originally not Israelites. signifies that God has always רּוחַ יְהֹוָהalso alluded that the book of Judges is consistent The phraseַ with Hebrew narrative style. Therefore, it is not led His called servants to make pronouncements out of place to situate the Narrative in Judges or make choices. His choice of wife was said to 13-16 in the context of Hebrew transition have a backing from God (14:4). It was all history. A history that started from Israel‟s planned out by Yahweh as a strategy to make deliverance from Egypt, Israel‟s conquest of the Israel dominate the Philistines. However, God promised land, Israel‟s apostasy and did not take away the emotional need of chastisement by Yahweh using other nations like Samson, that was why he could still fall in love the Philistines and God‟s deliverance of Israel with a woman of his choice. The spirit of God from the tyranny of such nation. It continued to coming upon Samson was the cause of his the anointing of David and his defeat of the heroic performance. It was this same Spirit of Philistines. God that came upon David when he was anointed by Samuel (I Samuel 16: 1-11). The causal theory is also at work in Samson‟s 6. Quadripartite Pole Analysis of Judges narrative. His power is also causal. The power of 13-16 in Relation to Causal Theory the Spirit of Yahweh was the source of his extraordinary powers. This is very clear when ruwach) endowment of his covenant Nazarene hair was cut as a result of) רּוחַ The first pole is the is translated as wind, Delilah‟s persuasion. The power left him until רּוחַ Samson. The Hebrew the Spirit of when the hair started growing again. The Spirit) רּוחַ יְהֹוָה ַ spirit or breath. It was God) that always come upon Samson especially of God came on him again and he was able to at the time of danger. By this breath Samson was destroy the Philistine temple where he was tied an approved man of God, called to carry out an to do sport. assignment. John Roskoski, a Biblical scholar in St. Peter‟s University has given us useful insight The second pole is the love relationship of into this pole of thought which emphasizes the Samson. What could have caused the love “Spirit of the Lord” (Roskoski 2017). In the relationship of Samson with women? The narrative, it is said that Samson was endowed storyline gives the reader the understanding that with the “Spirit of the Lord” on four occasions. Samson had love relationship with three women First, at the camp of Dan (13:25); second, but got married to the first one from Timnah. fighting the lion (14:6); third, the settling of the But we have observed from the text that the wager (14:19); and fourth, the battle at Ramath- same word was used for the three. The word is ishshah) and it means woman, wife or') אִשָה Lehi (15:14). In the latter three instances, the text is exactly the same; the Spirit of the Lord female (14:2,15,16,20; 15:1,6; 16:1,4). was used for אִשָה rushed mightily upon him” (Roskoski 2017). Although, the same word This experience indicates God‟s approval and woman or harlot, they were distinguished by empowerment to defend Israel against the locations (a woman at Timnath, a harlot at Gaza, powers of the Philistines. In a parallel reading, a woman in the Valley of Sorek-Delilah). In
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for Delilah at the ָאהב Accordance with Biblical account, “Samson‟s 16:4, Samson expressed (Deliylah) דְלִילָה relations with these women were a means to be Valley of Sorek. The name revenged upon the Philistines. Nonetheless, the means feeble. According to the Encarta (2009), Rabbis use these ties to denounce the attraction to be feeble means to be physically or mentally to foreign women prevalent at the time” (Kadari weak, that is, someone lacking physical or 2009). Judging from Kadari‟s last sentence here, mental strength or health. Is the name Delilah a it appears the Philistine women were very fiction‟s figure or a real name of a woman in beautiful and attractive. In 15:2, the Hebrew antiquity? Flavius Josephus mentioned Delilah adjective (ṭō-w-ḇāh- better, fairer) was used in Jewish antiquity. In his narrative, Delilah was by Samson‟s father-in-law to describe the beauty described as a harlot who had the power of of Samson‟s wife‟s sister. He did this in order to suction. Samson was described as a victim of patronise Samson for what he did to him. The Delilah‟s love antics (Josephus 1824:336-337). Hebrew is from the stem (tob) that is In the same vein, Newsom, Ringe and Lapsley good. Although, the word (yophi-beauty) was (2012:139) agree that Delilah is mentioned in not used, could mean good looking. So, we Jewish antiquity in the Talmud and she was can say that Samson was attracted by the beauty associated with prostitution. While the Talmud of the women. Moreover, for seeking to marry paints the picture of Delilah getting Samson by the Timnah woman, it means Samson was sex, Ambrose argues that she did by her tears. interested in companionship. Also, for seeking Ambrose argument conforms to the Hebrew to marry it means Samson was interested in meaning of Delilah (feeble). This is consistent fulfilling his sexual desire. This desire was with Samson because the anonymous woman of shown when he wanted to go in to meet with his Timnah did the same thing. Samson was a man wife of which he was deprived by his father in- who cannot bear the tears of a woman. Could law (15:1-2). Some have accused Samson of this just be a different fragment of narratives derailment when he married a Philistine lady but picturing the same woman? This is topic for nowhere in the narrative where God was angry another day. On the other hand, if we say with him about that. We were even told that it Samson had sex or did not have sex with Delilah was the will of God for Samson to marry the we cannot substantiate because we were not told woman (14:4). In 14:3, Samson‟s respond to his in the passage. However, we cannot deny the parents about the issue was described with the fact that Samson cannot resist her. On the other hî yā·šə·rāh bə·„ê·nāy) hand, it is plausible to assume that Samson was) א phrase meaning „she pleases me well.‟ This means that probably yet to have sex with her in the sense what precipitated Samson‟s love for her was that both the woman of Timnah and Delilah beauty. Consequently, Samson said to his father, could have used the promise of sex to pressurise „Get her for me.‟ In the text, the name of the him. It maybe that Samson could not control his woman was not mentioned like that of Delilah. sexual urge but could have been promised that Could this girl be the same as Delilah? Even the his demand for sex will be met if he reveals his name of the harlot at Gaza was not mentioned secrete. With this we can draw an inference that too. The character of the first girl who Samson Samson was a very emotional person and married was not different from that of Delilah. sexually active. His emotion was controlled by Among these so called women, it was the harlot circumstances. This is why his problem at Gaza that did not betray him. It appears the resonates with the causal theory. harlot was not a Philistine. In 14:16, it was the The third pole is the expression of Anger: This is ָאהב woman at Timnah that mentioned the word aheb) in her bit to entice emotional issue. He was provoked to anger as a') ָאהֵב ahab) or') (aph') ַאף Samson to fall into her prank. The Hebrew word result of betrayal. The Hebrew word .as used in the passage means love (human weave the situation in a real man experience ָאהב meaning anger or wrath, expressed ַאף love for another, family love, and sexual or The term romantic love). The expression of the Woman of how Samson felt when he was betrayed. It was Timnah showed that Samson loved her but she expressed facially and through body language. took undue advantage of Samson‟s love. Also in Samson‟s face changed in anger. He was
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angered as a result of the betrayal of his wife. He the Philistines but this case gave him more knew it was the doing of his in-laws. John Sunil reason to be merciless. In 15:7 the Hebrew word ,naqam) was used to mean avenge) נָקם Manoah summarizes the narrative of Samson‟s cause of anger, thus: vengeance, revenge, etc. In 15:8, he carried out After Samson got wedlock with a Philistine an action that made the Philistines to feel the woman in Timnah, he gave seven days of feast impact of their action. The other instance of to them as it was customary for a bridegroom in provocation that led Samson to seek revenge those days, he puts a riddle over them for which was the betrayal of Delilah, a supposed lover the reasons were not clear but assumed to be in and the plucking of his eyes and humiliation by three possibilities, (i) To make some profit, the officials of the Philistines (16:4-21). Like the (ii)To prove his heroic which was a general last kick of a dying horse, Samson sought to quality of mankind, (iii) may be God's plan to avenge the ill treatment of the Philistines on him create vengeance between Philistines and and Israel. He made a last wish from Yahweh se`ar-hair) has) שֵעָר Samson, in which most of the Christians will when he realized that his tsamach-sprout) and his power) צָמח stick to the third one. Since the Philistines are started to unable to find the answer for the riddle they gradually gathering momentum (16:22,28). plowed Samson's wife to coax the answer for the Yahweh granted his prayers for revenge and riddle putting her and her family in the threat of defeated the Philistines in a historical epoch death, that caused her to press Samson (16:29-30). It was an outstanding revenge indeed consistently to reveal her the answer in which because all the lords and officials of the she finally succeed. This scene discloses the Philistine died when Samson broke the pillar of determination of a woman and her tactics in their temple. Samson‟s quest for vengeance was getting things done in her favor and also caused by provocation. This also resonates with portraits man's common weakness towards causal theory. woman. When Philistines gave the answer for the riddle Samson realized, how they managed 7. Some Socio-Psychological to get it done, he also understood the general Implications characteristics of women (Manoah 2016). There are some socio-psychological implicit The first cause of the anger was explained in issues in the passage. Such issues did not appear 14:11-19. Samson returned to his home town in at the surface of the text. These issues give the anger. Before he could recover from his socio-psychological implication of the text. previous anger, the worst happened when he These issues are raised bellow. returned to take his wife. Still in the act of trickery, his father in law gave his wife to his 7.1 Emotional Catharsis ra`ah-friend). This second action Samson was a man full of and driven by) רָ עָה best angered Samson the more. The narrative of the emotional situation. He loves so much when the second cause of Samson‟s anger could be seen situation goes to the direction of love, he gets in 14:10-15:3. The intensity of Samson‟s anger angry so much when provoked to anger. 14:1-17 asah) meaning shows Samson‟s love for his fiancée and 14:18-`) עָשָה was portrayed with the qal to harm or carry out a harmful action. This he 20 shows Samson‟s anger when he was demonstrated in 15: 4-6. Both the woman, her provoked either by beauty to love or by the family and the Philistines provoked Samson to negative treatment of those around him. Here he anger. These also resonate with the theory of was provoked to anger as a result of the deceit of „cause and effect.‟ his in-laws. His riddles were unveiled by falsehood and as such he felt cheated. Is Samson The fourth pole is the expression of Revenge. He not justified by feeling this way when it is was frustrated by his woman and her family. His obvious that he was cheated upon by those he expression of revenge shows that he was respected and trusted? aggrieved by certain actions carried on him by those he trusted. The main ministry of Samson is 7.2 Intrigue and Victimization to avenge Israel‟s forty years maltreatment by
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Samson was a victim of intrigue. The wife he foolish hero. He was being referred as a foolish found in Timnah was taken away in falsehood. hero because he was been seen as a very rash He reacted to this in anger. All these landed man. Samson into deeper trouble with the Philistines. He was also a victim of love. All the women he 7.4 Insensitivity to Security Threats ever loved deceived and destroyed him in one Delilah‟s several moves constitute serious way or the other (14:15-17, 15) except the one at security threat to Samson‟s life. He was too Gaza. Are those blaming Samson in any way careless to notice that several failed attempts to saying that he does not have the moral right to hand him over to his adversaries, the Philistines love and to be loved? Why should Samson be were made by Delilah. Unknown to him, he still Judged for this. The woman in Timnah and went ahead to tell his secret to Delilah. This Delilah from the Valley of Sorek formed alias eventually led to his untimely death. Did with Samson‟s adversaries to destroy him. They Samson do anything wrong for opening his heart got him by playing pranks on him. Being that he to the one he loved. This allude to a parallel trusted his lovers, he confined in them his reading in the New Testament understanding personal secretes which they eventually took that “love fears nothing” (1 John 4:18). advantage of. First was the answer to his Riddles However, Samson was insensitive to security in Timnah during the marriage rite of his wife; threat, probably due to overconfidence that he the second was the incident of his wife taken can always rise up and defeat his advisories as from him and given to his best man by his usual. No matter how fortified a person or a father-in-law; and third was his betrayal by nation might be, security threat should not be Delilah. All of these people were loved by him taken for granted. but they turned out to betray him. This is why Samson can be referred to as a victim of 7.5 The Woman Power factor intrigue, insincerity and foes. Pnina Galpaz-Feller has pointed out the woman factor in two perspectives in relationship to 7.3 Insensitivity and Naivety Samson‟s experience; the mother and wife-lover Samson was Psychologically insensitive. He was factor (Galpaz-Feller 2006:25). His mother‟s deceived several times almost with the same influence may have taught him how to respect patern according to the narrative. First, he was and listen to a woman. This could have probably deceived by the woman at Timnah demanding made Samson to be easily influenced by a the answer to his riddles and second was Delilah woman. Delilah seemed to have mastered the act who was also asking for the secret of his powers. of romantic influence on men. The sexuality and Delilah deceived him several times yet he took romance of a beautiful woman is highly for granted all the actions of the woman in imparting and influencing on a man. It could be asking for the secret of his powers. He never used as either tool of development or destruction took into cognizance how he has been deceived on the man. Samson was a victim of this by this woman with a circle of sequences. If we scenario. Delilah influence on him was very follow the narrative the way it was presented, it strong. She knew Samson‟s emotional needs and implies that Samson was a crazy, stupid, naïve was able to satisfy him romantically and and careless lover. Samson‟s entire life was sexually hence Samson decided to remain with lived within the ambit of emotions. His emotions her. It is obvious that Samson was trying to cover his sense of critical reasoning, recover from a heartbreak and Delilah ability Philosophical acceleration and good sense of suggested to him that she was the right person. judgments. Can Samson be Judged for this? It is In Samson‟s judgment, Delilah was the type of critical to see him here as a true lover. Did he do woman that could help him recover from his wrong for loving a woman with true love? emotional predicaments. It was just unfortunate Samson‟s type of love is not easy to find in that he was betrayed by the one he loved and modern world of today but it was marred with trusted. Some have seen this art of Delilah as a foolishness, insensitivity and naivety. No mission of revenge because the story of men‟s wonder Exum (2014: 14,30) called Samson a betrayal by women was not strange in antiquity.
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„Many commentators refer to three other completely exonerated from lack of self-control Hebrew stories which speak of women taking in the sense that he allowed his emotions to revenge on men: Yael and Sisera, Esther and becloud his senses whenever he falls in love. Haman, and Judith and Holophernes‟ (Sasson Rather than just handling the outcomes of 1988: 339, note 5). Moreover, in Sasson‟s point behaviours in human domain, the causes of such of view: behaviours should also be of great concern so as the motifs in each differ from each other, let to prevent the reoccurrence of such behaviour in alone from the story of Samson and Delilah. the future. Moreover, while a case can be made that all three share a similar point of view (neutralizing References an enemy), these narratives cannot be compared with regard to the perspective that informs our Acharya, A, Blackwell, M. & Sen, M. 2015. story. Explaining Attitudes from Behavior: A Sasson‟s argument still point to the woman Cognitive Dissonance Approach. power factor playing on Samson‟s intelligence In Harvard Kennedy School Faculty and even his personality. Her grip over Samson Research Working Paper Series. was so strong that he could not resist her night https://research.hks.harvard.edu/publicat and day plea for his release of secretes. At last ions/workingpapers/Index.aspx.Retrieve Samson bowed to her pressure and the secrete d 03-06- 2016. was let out of the bag. This cost Samson a lot. Alvarez, M. 2016. Reasons for Action: What do we call Samson, a fool or a lover? He is Justification, Motivation, Explanation. both a lover and a fool. In Zalta, E.N. (eds), The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Available 8. Conclusion online in https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/reasons Drawing a relationship between Samson‟s failed -just-vs-expl/ Accessed July 30, 2018. marriage and his subsequent relationships with a Assis, E. 2014. The Structure and Meaning of harlot in Gaza and Delilah, the paper has shown the Samson Narratives. In: Erik M.M. that Samson‟s later relationship with the above Eynikel & Tobias Nicklas (eds), two women is causal. Therefore, using Samson‟s Samson: Hero or Fool?: The Many serial relationship with the harlot in Gaza and Faces of Samson. Leiden: Brill, 1- Delilah to conclude that Samson was a 12. promiscuous man is tantamount to reading the Beecher, Willis J. 1884. The Literary form of the story disjointedly. One must start from the story Biblical History of the Judges. Journal of his birth to his death so as to get the complete of the Society of Biblical Literature story. This paper has shown this. Second, the and Exegesis 4 (1/2): 3-28. human factor of Samson‟s experience cannot Von Rad, G. 1962. Old Testament Theology, also be ignored. Those who blame Samson for Vol 1.(trans.D.M.G.Stalker). Edinburgh visiting a harlot at Gaza and for falling in love and London: Oliver & Boyd. with Delilah seem to disconnect Samson human Promiscuity in http://www.merriam- nature from his experience. If one sees Samson webster.com/dictionary/promiscuous, as a man with human emotional needs like any Retrieved 30-04-2016 other human being, we will see Samson‟s Abbott, H. P. 2002. Cambridge Introduction to dilemma and even appreciate the narrative the Narrative (Cambridge, UK/New York: more. Samson‟s love story has shown that he Cambridge University Press. was a fool whenever he loves (Exum 2014:14) Acharya, A.; Blackwell, M. & Sen, M. 2015. and as such, he often falls victim to the intrigue Explaining Attitudes from Behavior: A of the one he loves. He was a victim of multiple Cognitive Dissonance Approach. betrayals by those he loved and trusted. Harvard Kennedy School Faculty Although, Samson‟s problem could be situated Research Working Paper Series, 1- as usual in human domain, he cannot be 44.
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